Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Katrina - One Year Later

What can you do?

See Spike Lee's 4-hour HBO documentary. Then listen to - I stress, listen to for his Slavic vitriol is not to be missed - Andrei Codrescu's radio essay, The Shame of Katrina Hangs on FEMA.

Then weep.

Tout ce que peut dire un cadavre…

Patrice Desbiens, avocat, LL. M.

Basic but still interesting

On serait porté à croire qu'un cadavre ne révèle pas grand-chose sur les circonstances du décès. Pourtant, pour Anny Sauvageau, M.D., M. Sc., pathologiste judiciaire au Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale, les cadavres sont très loquaces. Le travail d'un pathologiste en est un de détective. Tel un Columbo, le pathologiste judiciaire cherche des indices sur le corps d'une victime afin de déterminer les causes et les circonstances de sa mort. Dans son enquête, il est appelé à collaborer avec les policiers. Il va également être appelé à fournir une expertise devant les tribunaux lors de procès.

A-t-on déplacé le corps?
Une excellente façon de déterminer la position initiale qu'avait un cadavre est d'observer les lividités cadavériques : coloration rouge-bleu de la peau (à ne pas confondre avec les ecchymoses) due à l'attraction gravifique du sang vers les parties inférieures du corps après le décès. Après la mort, le cœur cesse de pomper le sang, et, donc, le sang tombe dans les régions basses par simple gravité.
Ces lividités commencent à apparaître environ 30 minutes après la mort pour atteindre un niveau maximal deux heures plus tard, ce qui permet de déterminer l'heure de la mort de façon approximative. Huit à 12 heures suivant le décès, les lividités cadavériques se fixeront à l'endroit où elles sont situées. Ainsi, un changement de position du corps ne modifiera pas l'endroit où elles sont situées, explique Anny Sauvageau. « Bien que les lividités puissent être utilisées dans l'établissement du temps de décès, leur rôle est encore plus grand dans l'établissement de la position du corps au décès ainsi que dans la démonstration que la position du corps a été modifiée plusieurs heures suivant le décès. »
Dans le cas d'un bébé mort de façon suspecte, où les parents prétendaient l'avoir trouvé couché sur le dos, les lividités cadavériques ont permis de démontrer que le bébé était en fait couché sur le ventre lors de son décès, la coloration rouge-bleu étant située sur le devant du corps, ce qui a confirmé la thèse de l'asphyxie.

Quel type d'arme a été utilisé?
Une bonne façon de résoudre un crime est de pouvoir identifier l'arme utilisée. Cet élément peut faire la différence entre un acquittement et une condamnation. L'examen des lésions présentes sur le corps est donc une tâche importante puisque susceptible de révéler quelle arme a été utilisée pour perpétrer le crime.
Il est tout d'abord important de distinguer deux types d'objets pouvant causer des lésions : les objets piquants et tranchants et les objets contondants.
Les objets piquants et tranchants sont ceux qui permettent de couper la peau de façon nette, tel un couteau. On parle de coupure ou d'incision lorsqu'on fait référence à une blessure occasionnée par un tel objet. Il y a trois catégories de lésions causées par les objets piquants et tranchants : les plaies par arme piquante, les plaies par arme tranchante et les plaies par arme piquante et tranchante. Les plaies par arme piquante font référence à une plaie dont la profondeur excède la longueur en surface, dans le cas où un couteau est planté dans le corps de façon perpendiculaire à la surface de la peau. Une plaie par arme tranchante est plus longue en surface qu'en profondeur, lorsque le couteau glisse le long de la surface de la peau. La plaie par arme piquante et tranchante est une combinaison des deux.

Les dimensions de l'arme d'attaque
Les plaies peuvent révéler beaucoup d'informations sur le type d'arme utilisée, selon Anny Sauvageau. Dans le cas d'une plaie par arme piquante, par exemple, « la longueur à la peau de la plaie nous permet d'évaluer grossièrement la largeur de la lame. La profondeur de la plaie nous permet d'estimer la longueur approximative de la lame ».

Objets contondants
Quant aux objets contondants, ils ne sont ni tranchants, ni piquants; ils écrasent plutôt les tissus du corps. Un bâton de baseball, un marteau, même un poing en sont de bons exemples. Il y a quatre catégories de lésions pouvant être causées par un objet contondant : les érosions, les contusions, les lacérations et les fractures. Une mauvaise qualification de la lésion peut soulever un doute quant à l'arme utilisée pour commettre l'infraction et ainsi mener à un acquittement. Il est donc primordial de bien qualifier la lésion.

Érosion, contusion, lacération
Une érosion fait référence à une perte superficielle de l'épiderme due à une friction, ce qu'on appelle dans le langage courant une égratignure.
La contusion consiste en la rupture de petits vaisseaux dans les tissus un peu plus profonds de la peau, causant alors de l'hémorragie dans les tissus. On observera alors une ecchymose, communément appelée un « bleu ».
Une lacération se produit lorsque l'écrasement causé par l'objet contondant produit une rupture de la peau. La plaie ressemble alors à une coupure, mais il faut bien se garder de confondre les deux. Dans le cas d'une coupure, les lèvres de la plaie sont nettes et propres, contrairement à une lacération, où elles sont irrégulières. On observe également la présence de ponts de tissus à l'intérieur de la plaie d'une lacération, due à la résistance de certains tissus à l'intérieur de la peau lors de l'écrasement.
Selon la force utilisée pour porter le coup, un objet contondant peut occasionner des fractures.

La trace de l'hésitation
Plusieurs indices viennent également aider Anny Sauvageau à déterminer s'il s'agit d'un homicide ou d'un suicide. « Dans la distinction d'un suicide versus un homicide, les lésions de défense ou les marques d'hésitation sont des indices importants à considérer. Les lésions de défense sont des lésions des extrémités se produisant lorsque la victime interpose ses bras (ou plus rarement ses jambes) afin de se protéger. Les marques d'hésitation sont des lésions superficielles adjacentes ou chevauchantes à la ou aux lésions principales. Ces lésions auto-induites ont été effectuées par la victime pour tester la douleur ou la force requise, avant d'avoir le courage nécessaire au passage à l'acte complet. »

La mort par asphyxie
La mort peut également survenir par une asphyxie, soit un manque d'oxygène aux cellules. Les principales formes de l'asphyxie sont la suffocation et la strangulation.

4 types de suffocation
Il y a quatre types de suffocation : la suffocation par confinement ou la suffocation environnementale, l'étouffement externe, l'étouffement interne et l'asphyxie mécanique.
La suffocation survient lorsque le sang est privé d'oxygène. La suffocation par confinement ou environnementale est causée par un manque d'oxygène dans l'air ambiant, lorsque la victime se retrouve enfermée dans un endroit clos (confinement) où l'air s'amenuise, ou lorsque la victime entre dans un milieu déjà dépourvu d'oxygène (environnementale).
L'étouffement externe est une forme de suffocation causée par l'obstruction du nez et de la bouche, lorsqu'on appose, par exemple, un oreiller sur le visage de la victime.
Quant à l'étouffement interne, il réfère plutôt à l'obstruction des voies internes : la trachée et les bronches. Un cas assez particulier a été répertorié, où un homme a tenté de se suicider en avalant des pilules. Dans son empressement, les pilules ont pris la voie de la trachée, et la victime est morte asphyxiée. Finalement, l'asphyxie mécanique survient lorsque la victime est incapable de respirer en raison d'une pression externe sur le corps.

3 catégories de strangulation
La deuxième forme d'asphyxie est la strangulation, qui se définit comme la fermeture des voies internes en raison d'une pression externe sur le cou. La strangulation se divise en trois catégories : la pendaison, la strangulation au lien et la strangulation manuelle. Ces deux dernières sont un indice d'homicide.
La pendaison est souvent due à un suicide, mais il est possible qu'elle survienne dans le cas d'un homicide. Pour cette raison, il est important de garder le nœud de la corde intact puisqu'il est susceptible de démontrer s'il s'agit d'un suicide ou d'un homicide. Fait étonnant, mentionne Anny Sauvageau, « contrairement à la croyance populaire, le corps n'a pas à être suspendu dans les airs pour que la pendaison se produise. La pendaison peut se faire en position debout, assise ou même couchée ».
Lorsque la pression du lien sur le cou est exercée par une force autre que le poids du corps de la victime, on parle alors de strangulation au lien. Dans ce cas, on note souvent la présence de traces d'ongles sur la peau du cou, signifiant que la victime a tenté de desserrer le lien.
Quant à la strangulation manuelle, elle est automatiquement un homicide, puisqu'elle est causée par la pression des mains (ou d'une autre partie du corps) sur le cou de la victime.

Un atout
Comme on peut le constater, la médecine légale est un atout majeur pour le plaideur averti, susceptible de l'aider à déterminer les circonstances précises de la mort, ce qui lui permet d'établir la culpabilité ou l'innocence de l'accusé.

Yeah..it remind us that the best way to erase the evidence is to put the body in the water..

Sue

Monday, August 28, 2006

Suggestion

I'm thinking of changing the name of this site to Who Killed John?

Any comments?

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Open Thread

I just got back from Disneyland... errrr, the NOVA conference in Orlando. I'm a little tired and have to prepare for school starting on Monday.

Talk among yourselves. What's up?

Saturday, August 19, 2006

I'm off to Orlando shortly

The National Organization for Victim Assistance conference awaits, but there's still time to take the survey (we've got about 60 responses so far which gives us about 30% probability of random error (pretty crappy) - a few more and we can punch that down:

Click here to take survey

Thursday, August 17, 2006

What to think of the Ramsey case

I try to keep some distance with these more sensational stories, but with the arrest yesterday of John Mark Karr for the suspected murder of JonBenet Ramsey I'm really sort of shocked.

I wrote my brother and said, "ya it's kind of like if someone came forward and said, "don't blame O.J., I killed Nicole and Ron"", to which my brother replied, "ya, but I never thought the Ramsey's did it."

Problem is, I did.

I never really followed the case. My brother did, he had all those John Douglas books on it - never a big fan of Douglas' books myself. But I bought into the perception fed by the media that the Ramsey's had something to hide. It is amazing the things we accept for truth based on what others have told us. I wonder how that investigation worked? The case had been quiet for some time. The police probably backed way off, distanced themselves from the circus and focused on fundamentals.

Did anyone believe Gary Condit murdered Chandra Levy? I never did.

On june 17, a search party was organized in the case of Theresa Allore, an event made possible by the amount of organization of many individuals that assisted me that I wish to thank here.

First of all, John Allore for for his unwavering confidence in me as well as Andre and the entire Allore family.

I want to thank each and every volunteer that gave up their saturday, took their time, brought their own lunch and spent the money for gas to assist us ib this search for justice.

Andree Noel, owner of the property, for having given us the permission to conduct our search, thank you very much.

Claude and Diane Fregeau, President of Quebec Secours, your organization is the absolute best that could be procured in this line of work.

Carole Tetrault. corporal, Quebec Secours, for your words of encouragement, support and interest as well as your professionalism.

Carole Pard of Quebec Secours, for your professionalism and commitment, thank you.

Nathalie Blanchet, Lieutenant Quebec Secours, for your massive coordination efforts and focus, thank you.

Sandy Pike, Captain, Quebec Secours, for your exceptional professionalism as well as your availability in this project.

Thank you to the ENTIRE team of Quebec Secours.

Francois Chillas, President, Radio Amateur Estrie, ve2cf1, individuals of your kindness are indeed rare. THANK YOU very much Francois.

Thank you to the entire Radio Amateur team.

Pierre Hugues Boisvenus, for your support and commitment, as infinite thank you.

Anonymous "blue": for being there and for everything you did, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Estelle Gagne and Cynthia Lecuyer, for your precious time and support, I cannot thank you enough.

Terry Roth, Thank you for everything you did.

Jennifer Young, from Records newspaper, thank you for your pen and your kindness.

Julie, Frederic Cloutier, and Kathy Gibson, thank you very much for the help for the flyers.

La Legende Restaurant, 20 rue Principale a Magog, for your kind hospitality on such short notice for hospitality on such short notice for hosting the press conference of june 16.

The Prior Family, as infinite thank you for your support.

Anonymous "yellow", thank you so much for your participation.

Anonymous "red" thak your for your help and your tredenmous courage.

Anonymous "pink" thank you so much for being there, your cooperation and your courage.

Anonymous "Black". thank you for being there and your help.

Inspecteur Roy and Capitaine Boily from Regie de police de Memphremagog, who took the time to listen to my request.

Florent Henri, thank you for taking the time to be there.

Thank you to the media who took the time to be there.

Mike Armstrong of Global
Stephane Giroux of CTV
Allison HANES of the national post
Vanessa Lee of Global
Catherine Marcil of TVA
Brigitte Marcoux of Radio Canada.

Thanks for everybody who helped from near and from far.

Sue Sutherland

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Candy and Criminology

Never has a question generated such interest.

Look people, have you ever been to one of these victims things? They can be pretty emotionally overwhelming. In the past I've spoken on my own experience, then general topics on victims issues: I found the whole experience pretty unrewarding for presenter and presenterer? (presentee?).

Anyway, so this time I chose a very fundamental topic that I felt could help victims and people who work with victims: my presentation is Survey Preparation and Data Analysis. The point is to provide VSPs some basic, guerrilla concepts about conducting a survey and analyzing the data. The candy survey is meant to provide them with an example of how to conduct a survey, and some of the basic mistakes you can make if you don't know what you are doing (The survey I posted has several holes in it in terms of completely surveying a hypothesis / concept / subject of interest.)

I purposely chose "candy" because it is a non-offensive topic that will allow people to focus on the basics (If I posted something on the death penalty everyone would get bogged down in their own personal baggage that they bring to that issue and miss the basic concepts behind the discussion.)

But, there is method behind the madness. Every research model needs a question, a hypothesis. My question is "Do people have an emotional response to food?", now you can extrapolate that into a research hypothesis like, "People have a strong emotional response to candy" or "Women have a stronger emotional response to chocolate than men". Then you use a survey as a research tool to test the hypothesis: get it?

Can you see how you can extend this out to all kinds of questions about criminology / victimology? It's fun! Experimental models are the foundation of research; and the beauty is you don't have to have a PhD to do them.

So, Yes... candy!

Still time to take survey

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

To-Do List

Alright, I'll take M.M. up on her offer. Because she's right: my request for "da search" was a goof and I was completely blind-sided how it turned out (had I known the publicity it would have created I would have requested it four years ago).

Here are some things I'd like to see get done. No one is obligated to do any of this, but if it motivates you - go for it:

1. "Freedom of Information" requests are always welcome, on a list of well know players (Allore, Champlain College, suspects, etc...)

2. I would love a copy of the Poitras report. I've asked the government, Gazette reporters, some reps in Ottawa: no soap. Anyone who can get their hands on this just-under-2000-pages baby gets a gold star in my book.

3. Letters to Quebec reps (Charest, Ministers of Justice and Publice Security) inquiring about the status of the Allore investigation, or status of establishing a cold-case bureau would be nice.

4. Would you like to help on a second search? Contact sue at justice4theresa@hotmail.com.

5. My brother wants to go back to the site of the first search, but he's too spooked to go alone - any takers? (No, it's not "Win a date with Andre")

6. There's a utility shed in Sherbrooke, north of where Louise Camirand disappeared: break into it, collect DNA, solve the case (this one is it's own reward).

7. Almanach du Crime au Quebec: I have the 1979 and 1980 editions: Where there other editions published? Who knows. This would be a prized Christmas present (hey, how happy were my xmas' after 1978?)... They were originally edited by "Lenoil Inc" with photos by Photo Police... oh yeah!

8. Start a campaign! Force Maclains to make campus security a criteria in their annual university rankings.

That's all for now.

AND COMPLETE THE SURVEY

I'll tell you what it all means when it's over (thank you to the 50 of you who have already participated).

Don't forget to take the survey

I'm presenting in two weeks at the National Organization for Victim Assistance conference in Orlando and I need your help with some data.

Can you take a moment to complete the following survey. It's ten questions and it's about candy (harmless, some would say fun!):

Click here to take survey

11 Canadian University's boycott Maclean's university rankings

Personally I always felt this was a crock since Maclean's only ranks based on academics and doesn't include any criteria for campus safety.

Here are the mighty eleven:

Dalhousie University
McMaster University
Simon Fraser University
University of Alberta
University of British Columbia
University of Calgary
University of Lethbridge
University of Manitoba
Universite de Montreal
University of Ottawa
University of Toronto

Saturday, August 12, 2006

An old friend and media-guy from L.A. has asked me some questions about Theresa. My responses are IN BOLD. I thought I'd share them with you - they're good questions and reveal some good info (can you guess where this is leading?) If I've missed anything please let me know:

Please let me know current availability/accessibility on your end of the following, and please be as specific as possible: Video (1/2; 3/4, airchecks/digitized/quicktime files) of interviews (broadcast & otherwise), events (e.g. July 2006 Search):

Lots of Interviews with W-5, the CBC, etc... I don't think the search was video taped (some of it was by media). A good friend of Theresa's - would be the best for getting you this: he has compiled a lot of taped info into concise dvds.

Any 8mm films of Theresa in existence:

Much... volumes. I have it on video, but the transfer is really poor. For someone willing to work with it. I also possess the original 8mm films (thery are in Amelia's closet)

Highest quality possible for all Audio (radio interviews, etc) & any available transcripts of same:

Gosh, I'm terrible with this, people tell me it's out there but I don't know where to look. It would be easy to get a hold of when the time was right. The CBC is anal about keeping this stuff (I hear the "As It Happens" interview from last Monday was really good)

Photographs of principals w/brief bios:

Ya, I could compile all this:

Allore family

(tones of this)

Surete du Quebec

(difficult, but not impossible. I have archival stuff from Allo Police (the "Confidential" of Quebec) with Roch Gauldreault - but also great period stuff of the other victims (really graphic and disturbing). Originals are available from the National Library in Montreal on microfiche, and you can sign it out. For instance, I ordered 2 years worth of reels of the stuff; they shipped it to me here in Carolina and I viewed it all at the local library - I mean the pictures alone are such a great great time capsule of a culture of violence from the 70s.

Champlain College, Sherbrooke

Yup, great photos of the principal players (I have photo copies, but better quality is available through libraries)

Families of other suspected victims directly related to TA case

I've never asked, but it doesn't hurt to ask

Families of other suspected victims directly related to Louise Camirand and Manon Dube

See above: lots of stuff available: The Dube's are cooperative; the Camirands, not so much - they'd like to forget about it.

Investigators involved 1978-2006

As I said, I've got period photos of Roch, and tape of him from 2002. The others? Oooh... tricky. P.I. Robert Buellac: I've got two good photos of him... and I've got a couple of Lennoxville police chief Leo Hamel.

Existing archive footage of events 2000-2006 (video/Audio)Physical documentation of key evidence/paperwork 1978-present

There is not any footage: but we have all the evidence so you could document it.

Any documentation/statistics detailing the number of cold cases nationwide in both the US and Canada

Available from StatsCan and the American DOJ stats: no secret.

Recommendations for any books/websites/materials you feel relevant and useful to topic(s):

Shit, I could go on all day with this...

Books (in no particular order):

1. My two copies of "Almanacs du Crimes au Quebec", 1978, 1979 given to me by P.I. Robert Buellac just before he died. Out of print, french, invaluable. You don't need to know the language to get the gist... the photos are stunning. I will loan them to you, but be aware: I prize these items!

2. Patricia Pearson's When She Was Bad (about female murderers). You get to know P and it's such a fun read.

3. Robert Ressler, Whoever Fights Monsters: from cover to cover, baby... from cover to cover.

4. You know what an Ellroy-head I am, but re-read "Stephanie" in Destination: Morgue!

5. Ann Rule's The Stranger Beside Me was a huge influence; before and since.

6. Alan Young's Justice Defiled: you must, YOU MUST read it. Alan is a Canadian attorney who completely understands the Canadian criminal justice system (and the book's a hoot)

7. Skim The Afterlife Experiments by Gary Schwartz with particular attention to Laurie Campbell (who lives in your neck of the woods)... I've been keeping secrets and this is a path you might want to look at.

8. Skim or be familar with any of the works of Kathy Reichs (you know, that Bones show on tv). Kathy made some important introductions for me.

9. If you have a french reader available... Jo-Anne Wemmers academic book, Introduction a la Victimologie is a good overview of the situation in Quebec. Jo Anne is bilingual, a professor at the U of Montreal, a friend and a good academic to talk with.

10. Yves Theriault - Tout Le Monde Dehors!. Again, if someone knows french: a good overview of the problem of early parole in Canada

11. For grins: Mary Roach: Stiff and Spook. Look, she's Canadian and lives in Oakland, if you could get her interested and documented it would be a coup.

12. Skim Deborah Spongeon's (sp... yes, Nancy's mom) Homicide: the hidden victims: A good look at what we go through.

OK! Websites!

1. Google Kim Rossmo and read up on the basics of his theories on geographic profiling.

2. There's a Montreal criminologist named Eric Beauregard: he helped us a lot and his papers might be worth reading.

3. Take a look at the Pierre Boisvenu's group: http://www.afpad.ca/ The man knows every crime victim in Quebec. Highly popular and a good friend.

4. Because Kim R was so tied to it, you should know the basics of the Robert Pickton case (prolific s.k. : 61 victims and counting) check out: http://www.missingpeople.net/home.html

5. Check out http://www.nofreedomdobson.com/ and read Dobson's testamony of murdering Dolly Prioriello (a quick read)

6. Google Karla Homolka and know the basics of that case (it's the Manson Murder's of Canada)

7. I think the story of Jeanne Cleary and Security on Campus http://www.securityoncampus.org/ is a really interesting American parallel to Theresa and Champlain college.

8. The case of Sharron Prior really sticks with me (a quick read) http://www.sharronprior.com/

9. Ontario's Resolve Initiative (http://www.opp.ca/Investigative/UnidentifiedRemains/index.htm) is brilliant (match cold cases with unidentified human remains): this is text book of what should be done and so obvious it's a wonder no one else has thought of it. Plus the guy who runs it, Officer Kim Peters, is an ally, friend, frequently teaches using Theresa's case as an example

Miscellaneous Questions Who specifically do you believe should be a focus of the piece in terms of interviews, and specifically why?

I was hoping you'd ask that. If I were doing it? This would be my dream interview list:

1. Friends of Theresa: they are primary sources

3. My brother, mother or father

4. Sue Sutherland (the student from U of Montreal who organized the search)

5. Pierre Boisvenu (hugely popular: can give you overview of Quebec political situation)

6. ANYBODY with a pulse at the Surete du Quebec

11. A number of journalists with the Montreal Gazette (Paul Cherry, etc... they get the picture)

12. Kristian Gravenor: a journalist in Montreal who studies the Quebec underbelly (he will give you gold)

13. Kim Rossmo, Jo Anne Wemmers, Eric Beauregard, Arlene Gauldreault (academics who will give you credibility)

14. Micheal Surprenant, Marcel Bolduc, Christian Caretta (french fathers who have lost daughters in Quebec - they will tell you the frustrations of victimology in Quebec)

American Big Guns who will help:

1. Deborah Spongeon (a maverick, but well respected)

2. Dr. Marlene Young (current president of the World Society of Victimology - an incredible speaker and interview)

3. Steve Twist (Victim and victim's rights lawyer from Phoenix (- Arizona is the most progessive of states in victims rights)

4. John Walsh (I'm totally serious)

What are three things about Theresa's case that are the most surprising?

1. That it could have been solved.

2. That there are so many assaults, murders, events associated with it.

3. That the police have been and still are completely inept: I will elaborate:

a/ When Patricia Pearson and I were talking about geographic profiling in 2002 (in those articles) the police didn't have a clue what we were talking about.

b/ Patricia and I were doing profiling before the Quebec police even knew what it was. Quebec didn't have it's first profiler until 2003: Eric Latour, the investigator assigned to Theresa in 2002: he didn't meet or learn of Rossmo's teachings until 2004 (we were way ahead of them)

c/ What I wrote yesterday about the Bouchard girl (the police don't get the complete picture)

4. To learn that she was studying to be a criminologist was quite a shock.

What are five things about Theresa that come to mind when you think of her?

1. Smart-ass, funny: her smart mouth probably got her killed.

2. Non-judgemental: she accepted everybody, EVERYBODY as equals (which explains why she treated a goofy-fat kid like me so completely without bias) - she knew you could learn from everybody.

3. (this one must go in tandum with numner 2): Huge bullshit detector: she was not some rose colored glasses person. She could see through a scam like no one I've known, and would not tollerate stupidity.

4. Rebel: she was my definition of cool then and now. huge influence on me (especially in terms of culture / sociology / music)

5. Theresa was a ham (wonder where I got that from?): when my dad saw her on the cover of Canada's National Post, August 10th, 2002 (my mother's birthday), his reaction was, "I always knew she'd make it big".

What are three aspects of the case that are not generally/publicly known? (This is of course in confidence)

Nope: that's for me and my friend! (I gave him four!)

Within the next 12 months as best you can determine, any key upcoming events germain as to either the specific investigation or related topics (e.g. court hearings/rulings/symposiums/speeches/demonstrations, etc.) when, where and why

1. The NOVA conference in Florida in two weeks is tersiary (sp) but interesting: Ron Goldman's sister will be there, that girl from Aruba's mother will be there. It is the first time that NOVA and the World Society of Victimology is convening at the same time: should be quite a scene.

2. CAVA (Canadian Association for Victim Asst) is meeting in October in Toronto. A who's who of canadian victims, etc... (you could pull off mulitiple interviews in one shot if you got it together).

3. The Robert Pickton trial in B.C, begins in January: this is the biggest event in canadian criminal justice history.

4. As I said, we may do a search in Quebec in the fall.

5. Pierre Boisvenu's group AFPAD will be having two semi-annual meetings in Quebec over the next 12 months.

6. At some point the Quebec gov will make an announcement about wether they will fund a cold-case squad.

7. We are waiting for results from the B.C. lab. If anything comes of it: if the bones turn out to be human - it will be a sensation.

8. By the end of September I will have a draft of a chapter that I am contibuting to an acedemic book on criminal investigative failures (edited by K Rossmo, to be published in the UK)

Friday, August 11, 2006

NOVA Prep

I'm presenting in two weeks at the National Organization for Victim Assistance conference in Orlando and I need your help with some data.

Can you take a moment to complete the following survey. It's ten questions and it's about candy (harmless, some would say fun!):

Click here to take survey

Marie Pierre Bouchard

Marie-Pierre

The body found last week in Warwick has been identified as Marie Pierre Bouchard. It is worth noting that when Marie first disappeared almost a year ago the Surete du Quebec labeled her a "runaway".

Also worth noting, when the body was found in Warwick I believe the SQ initially suspected suicide. I suppose their reasoning made some sense (she was found about 2 kilometers into the woods and apparently died there- again the "least effort principle": why go so far to murder someone?), but then why were her pants down?

Officers, it sometimes helps to use plain common sense.

(thanks C.C. for keeping us up on this story)

Thursday, August 10, 2006

The Mansion of Fun

Hello. It's Friday again. Although I'm supposed to keep these things light and in the 70s, I feel like an 80s style rant.

Let's talk about ...

The Death of New Wave and the Birth of the Crooner

See I have this theory. People ask What Killed New Wave? and I usually hear Metal, Springsteen, or the fact that you can't market it. But none of that's true.

The Crooner killed New Wave.

When Gordon Sumners traded in his jump suit for Versace, when Paul Weller courted Smokey Robinson and a smoking jacket, when Elvis Costello gave up being angry and started singing in multiple keys and octaves... I clocked out.

Captain Tantric, or is it that guy from The Seventh Seal?

Paul! We liked The Jam, what was wrong with copping that Kinks sound with an angry edge? Sting! Do you really have to make that verse fit into the meter of an Italian sonnet? And David Byrne - ok, I cut the guy a wide birth 'cause My Life In the Bush of Ghosts is still relevant; responsible for that techno sound Cher and Radiohead have so profited upon - but did you have to started sounding like Antonio Carlos Jobim?

Uber music whore Costello with some black guy

Speaking of fine lines, U2 walks that tightrope in high fashion. Bono, you croon, but you haven't forgotten how to rock - can you teach these other dilatants some lessons?

This is why I still listen to The Clash, Echo and the Bunnymen... why I just repurchased Two Wheels Good (and yes, YES, I do own a copy of The Blue Nile's Walk Across The Rooftops - but no Howard Jones: I have limits). It's why I haven't touched Look Smart, Zenyatta Mondatta or Speaking in Tongues in over two decades.

Prefab Sprout: confuse them with the Thompson Twins at your own peril

There are other signs of hope. XTC grew but never changed their stripes. Squeeze is still fun (though I miss Jools - Eric I hope you'll weigh in here).

I remember once eating Sunday brunch in New York and sitting next to David Byrne. I don't know what that means except to segway into the fact that I once ate late night sushi in a Toronto restaurant sitting next to Geddy Lee. What's my point? Oh yeah, I was thrilled to be sitting next to the shreaker from Rush, not so pleased to be sitting with some crooner-wannabe who I used to idolize.

Same as it ever was - wasn't this guy in Beettlejuice?

A few years back it was great to see Joe Jackson abandoning George Gershwin and re-forming the Joe Jackson band (long live Graham Maby). Sting; swallow a little pride and get back with Stewart and Andy - you've been treading water for 20 years, that jazz-fusion shit is just that... a big heap of dung. David Byrne, I'll back off because your last Talking Heads records were crap anyway, but don't forget your soul - Remain in Light kicks.
And The Clash? Long live The Clash. Every song sounds vital, Joe Strummer's last record is consistent and listenable.

Yo me frio o lo sophlo?

Who killed New Wave? You did Sting. I hope you're happy.

---------------------------------------------------------

Goodbye Lucille #1

Ooh johnny johnny johnny there is time for tears
Ooh johnny johnny johnny you won’t make it any better
Ooh johnny johnny johnny you might well make it worse
Ooh johnny johnny johnny I advise you to forget her

Life’s not complete till your heart’s missed a beat
And you’ll never make it up, or turn back the clock
No you won’t, no you won’t No you won’t, no you won’t

Ooh johnny johnny johnny she is a person too
Ooh johnny johnny johnny she has her own will
Ooh johnny johnny johnny why don’t you join the foreign legion
Ooh johnny johnny johnny you’re still in love with hayley mills

NI brings up some interesting points from the last comment section and I will attempt to answer his questions here

We are basically talking about where was Theresa's point of abduction. There are two schools of thought here:

1. She was picked up near the school residence in Compton. This theory is strengthened by the statement given by Sharon Buzzee who claims she spoke with Theresa on the steps of King's Hall on the evening of November 3, 1978 at approximately 9:00 - 9:30 pm. Also, unlike most witnesses whose statements were recorded 6 months later, Buzzee's statement was given 2 -3 weeks after Theresa disappeared. Another student, Tamara Westall, says she also saw Theresa that night (in the back, in the ktichen), but Westall's statement wasn't taken until April 1979.

2. The fact that only one person saw Theresa, that the sighting was not cooberated (if you discount the Westall statement) leads others to believe that Theresa was never there that Friday. This theory contends that she was picked up in Lennoxville (across from the Lion Pub) and never seen alive again. This is the theory the police (current police) adhere to. It is a typical police method; you stick with the least-effort theory and go from there (there is a lot of effort needed to hold up the Buzzee theory).

What do I believe? I don't know, I try to keep an open mind and entertain both options. So, to NI's questions:

Last April, I have visited only the parking there and seen mostly the fronts of the two buildings with its short space in between. I would appreciate some more help or your critical opinion. From a reflection about some events on November 3rd of 1978, you may know that I consider probable that the abduction may have taken place on the ground of King's Hall. If it was the case, does it link somehow to local individuals who could be related to an infamous gang? (Perhaps, a delinquent child of a local worker got or duplicated a key.)

The gang tie is possible: the Pouliot family lived down the road from Compton and a couple years later four of the brothers would be arrested for the shutgun murders of four men.

Does the King's Hall building has a basement? What was its content? Who could access it apart from the regular personal?

King's did not have a usable basement (the sub flooring was used for storage). However, King's and Gilliard ware linked by a tunnel (I assume so students didn't have to step into the cold in winter when they took their meals in the King's dining hall).

Gilliard does have a basement. It was used for storage, but also it had a laundry room for students and some activity rooms (ping-pong, etc..). FYI: that basement is waaayyy creepy. Access? Anyone having business with the school: students, admin, night watchmen... contractors? Yes, I would assume so.

Remember: the Compton residence was supposed to be this open concept in communal living where students did everything for themselves. They supervised themselves (RAs), they even cooked their own meals (I recently found my brothers "Certificate of Merit" from 1977 saying he had "survived the task of cooking in the King's Hall kitchen"). People would be able to come and go as they pleased and there wouldnot be much that students could do about it.

Is there a rear door? Does a local sub-contractor or employee was in charge of the regular outside maintenance? Did he used their equipment? Same for the inside maintenance.

There are many rear doors. King's Hall is full of secret nooks and crannies. Gilliard had approx. four rear doors (there are four wings to the thing, each wing has an exit door).

Does a local person has prepared the evening lunch? How easy was the ground perimeter access for intruders? Where the security guard was posted?

Your guess. I would think security would walk the peramiter, but who knows?

Theresa was last seen at the cafeteria by Tamara Wastall at 9:30 PM approximatively. Her next move could have been a walk toward her room in Gilliard House.

Or she could have taken the tunnel, or she may have walked to the village for smokes.

If Theresa was abducted near or in between the two buildings, could such an event has taken place unnoticed, far from the window views, if the abductor(s) carries (carry) his (their) victim outside behind King's Hall or inside its basement from a rear door?

I have a real problem with her being forced into a car unnoticed by anyone. It was Friday. It had been unseasonally warm all day. People would have been active. For me, this scenerio is the stuff of movies, not reality (again, the least-effort prinicpal: attempting something like that is EXTREMELY high risk behavior, and somewhat atypical of most sexual offenders.)

Monday, August 07, 2006

As It Happens

Ok, so I taped AIH (interviewed by "Helen"). It will air either tonight or tomorrow at 6:30 pm. I'm hoping tomorrow as I understand it's a holiday up there in Canada today.

Anyway, you can listen to it here.

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UPDATE:

Ok, the broadcast is tonight (08/07/06)

Sunday, August 06, 2006

EELS

If you're in the North Carolina neighborhood, My daughter and I'll be at Cat's Cradle tonight watching the fabulous Eels:

E, The Chet, Knuckles and Krazy Al

Drop in and say hello.
---------------------------------

Set

Old Shit/New Shit
The Other Shoe
Rock Show (Peaches)
Crazy Love (Willie Dixon)
Eyes Down
Dirty Girl
(Nowadays)
Jesus Gonna Be Here (Tom Waits)
Mother Mary
The Sound of Fear
My Beloved Monster
Magic World
Rags to Rags
Agony

... then we left (my daughter had school)

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Mansion of Fun - Saturday Edition

My wife's uncle passed about a month ago. I inherited his Zeta fretless bass:

I took it for a spin this afternoon - sweet.

Now we've got a three piece garage band at my place; come on over.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Mansion of Fun Friday

Ok, I'm a little giddy. CBC's As It Happens came calling today. I'm going to tape an interview on Monday (Oooo... dig that craaazzzyyyy Moe Koffman theme!).

That song's been running through my head since November 18th, 1968.

AND SPEAKING OF MUSIC...

I'll lay off the Supertramp this week, but let's keep things firmly in the 70s.

Fleetwood Mac's Rumors.

This is a great record. Lindsay Buckingham: what a guitarist. Just listen to what he does with You Make Loving Fun.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Members of the current Quebec government:

While I patiently wait for a response to my request against the Surete du Quebec, I REQUEST THE FOLLOWING FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF QUEBEC:

The entire 1734-page report submitted to the security minister in December 1998 from the Poitras Commission, published in 1999 by Ste-Foy, Les Publications du Quebec and officially titled:

Québec, Commission d'enquête chargée de faire enquête sur la Sûreté du Québec, Rapport de la Commission d'enquête chargée de faire enquête sur la Sûreté du Québec (Commission Poitras)

If you do not wish to release this to myself (a Canadian ex-patriot), you may mail it to my brother, Andre, a Quebec tax payer.

I request this information as a citizen of Canada.

Please respond to me at your earliest convenience and ensure me where this information may be sent.

Sincerely,

John Allore

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Cadavre a Warwick

There is already speculation that these may be the remains of Marie-Pierre Bouchard. The 17-year-old disappeared from Victoriaville almost a year ago (August 21, 2005)

Mise à jour le mercredi 2 août 2006 à 12 h 40

Une enquête criminelle est ouverte

Le rapport d'autopsie effectué sur le cadavre découvert samedi sur un terrain du rang 2, à Warwick, vient d'entraîner le déclenchement d'une enquête criminelle.

La Sûreté du Québec confirme que le dossier a été confié à l'escouade des crimes majeurs.

Elle refuse toutefois de confirmer qu'il s'agit d'un cas d'homicide.

Les policiers confirment toutefois que les ossements retrouvés par les enfants des agriculteurs Max et Monica Hirt sont ceux d'une femme.

Il pourrait s'agir des restes d'une adolescente de 17 ans portée disparue à Victoriaville en août dernier. La description de la jeune femme effectuée au moment de sa disparition correspond à celle faite par les enfants Hirt.

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UPDATE: Read comments: NI points to a Compton connection!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Hey Kids!

Let's all hail the Toronto-get-rich anti-SARS festival!

Heyyyyy... Things are getting interesting in the Townships again

Le mardi 01 août 2006
WARWICK

Trois enfants trouvent un cadavre
Gilles Besmargian
La Tribune

Trois jeunes qui s'amusaient dans un boisé, vers 15 h samedi, ont découvert le corps en décomposition très avancée d'une personne qui serait vraisemblablement une femme dans la vingtaine, en bordure du Rang 2 de Warwick.

Une visite de l'endroit a permis de constater que les restes humains gisant à cet endroit y étaient depuis plusieurs semaines. Les premières indications laissent penser qu'il pourrait s'agir davantage d'un meurtre que d'un suicide, si l'on considère que le cadavre reposait à moins de cinq mètres de la voie publique et à moins de deux mètres dans le boisé.À première vue, la première hypothèse semble la plus plausible. L'assassin, s'il y a lieu, aurait pu transporter le corps à cet endroit. Voire tuer sa victime dans le boisé avant de quitter les lieux.

On aura compris que le Bureau régional d'enquêtes de la Sûreté du Québec de la Mauricie/Centre-du-Québec, par l'entremise de l'agente Kim Courchesne, refuse d'élaborer sur l'investigation en cours et sur certains détails découverts sur place. L'autopsie, qui sera pratiquée ce matin au Laboratoire de médecine légale de Montréal, permettra d'en apprendre davantage.

Ya, funny how the knee-jerk reaction is always suicide (hu-huh, hu-huh... hu-huh?)

(Thanks for the feed Chris)

Who Killed Theresa?